Building Racial Stamina as A Pathway to Equity: One Middle School’s Journey
Location
K-12 Schools: Practices and Strategies - Boston 2/3
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
The City of Decatur Schools assembled a three-year equity plan that strategically addresses racial inequities and disproportionalities regarding academic performance and suspension. The focus of the plan was, and continues to be, to elevate the knowledge and skill level of teachers and school leaders around implicit bias, cultural humility and culturally responsive and sustaining practice through specific trainings. However, one middle school decided it wanted to supplement the trainings with a parallel process for its parents and as such created – with the help of a researcher – a series of six (6) critical dialogue sessions on race, racism, equity and (white) privilege. The goal was to provide a space for parents to examine and discuss the kinds of conversations they have with themselves, their children, and the school personnel. This presentation will share the outcomes and findings of the critical dialogue sessions from the perspective of the parents and the school leaders; as well as explore opportunities for further research and scaling to potentially implement the effort district wide.
Keywords
Racial Stamina, Racial Equity, Critical Dialogue, Parents, School Leader
Professional Bio
Sean Warner has served on the faculty at Clemson University, chaired the Department of Secondary Education and School Leadership at Norfolk State University; and served as Dean of Education at both Grambling State University and Clark Atlanta University, respectively. Additionally, he has served on journal editorial boards and several state wide and national bodies to evaluate educational preparation programs and policies. Currently, he devotes most of his time to teaching; working with Georgia's state education agencies to improve educator preparation; coaching teachers and educational leaders; and collaborating with schools and nonprofit organizations to promote DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion).
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Warner, Sean, "Building Racial Stamina as A Pathway to Equity: One Middle School’s Journey" (2019). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 48.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2019/2019/48
Building Racial Stamina as A Pathway to Equity: One Middle School’s Journey
K-12 Schools: Practices and Strategies - Boston 2/3
The City of Decatur Schools assembled a three-year equity plan that strategically addresses racial inequities and disproportionalities regarding academic performance and suspension. The focus of the plan was, and continues to be, to elevate the knowledge and skill level of teachers and school leaders around implicit bias, cultural humility and culturally responsive and sustaining practice through specific trainings. However, one middle school decided it wanted to supplement the trainings with a parallel process for its parents and as such created – with the help of a researcher – a series of six (6) critical dialogue sessions on race, racism, equity and (white) privilege. The goal was to provide a space for parents to examine and discuss the kinds of conversations they have with themselves, their children, and the school personnel. This presentation will share the outcomes and findings of the critical dialogue sessions from the perspective of the parents and the school leaders; as well as explore opportunities for further research and scaling to potentially implement the effort district wide.
